With regard to a conventional cooling device for electric equipment, for example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-69733 (PTD 1) discloses a heat-generating body cooling system utilizing a vehicle air-conditioning device for the purpose of efficiently cooling a heat-generating body such as a battery or the like and improving heating performance. In the heat-generating body cooling system disclosed in PTD 1, a heat exchanger for performing heat exchange with air-conditioning air and a heat exchanger for performing heat exchange with the heat-generating body are arranged in parallel on a coolant passage extending from an expansion valve to a compressor, so that the heat-generating body is cooled utilizing a coolant for an air-conditioning device.
Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-90862 discloses a cooling system for efficiently cooling HV equipment utilizing a vapor compression refrigeration cycle (PTD 2). In the cooling system disclosed in PTD 2, heat-generating body cooling means for cooling a heat-generating body is provided on a bypass passage bypassing a decompressor, an evaporator, and a compressor in a refrigeration cycle for air-conditioning.
Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-109131 discloses a cooling system which is thermally efficient, completely provided in a semiconductor module, avoiding problems of contamination and leakage of fluid, and enabling easy attachment/replacement of the module (PTD 3). In the cooling system disclosed in PTD 3, an electric power device is provided in a recess demarcated in a housing. Coolant fluid actively circulates into the housing, and a pin fin is coupled to the housing.
Further. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-270748 discloses a semiconductor module and an electrode conversion device which exhibits high cooling performance and achieves a high reliability by resolving the possibility of insulation breakdown due to a thermal stress which occurs during manufacturing and operation (PTD 4). In the semiconductor module disclosed in PTD 4, a conductor member having a flow passage is joined to a base plate. A power semiconductor element is joined to the conductor member by soldering.